Mulching rasberries now?

[marchogaeth]

I remember hearing that rasberries fruited better if their roots got cold. I've kept the weeds off my Autumn fruiters over winter so they have had bare earth round them but I am getting a bit fed up with the exercise and I'd like to give the weeds more of a wallop with a good layer of mulch which will obviously insulate as well. SO..... any suggestions as to when I can put the mulch down?

I really hope this makes sense!

[VirginVegGrower]

Some wait until Spring but I have done mine already. I weeded first, then threw down a two inch mulch of spent compost mixed with my henny poo compost.

[SarzWix]

I always think that the best time to mulch is when you judge the soil to be at it's best, because the mulch will tend to preserve the status quo for longer. So if the ground is frozen solid, and you mulch it, it will stay cold for much longer. Similarly if the ground is very wet, or very dry. So really, the soil decides the timing, rather than the date. If that makes sense?

[VirginVegGrower]

I got mine in before frost then! Goodo. Maybe wait a bit M.

[Two_Sheds]

I mulch mine every year with layers of wet newspaper, overlapping each other like a carpet (weighed down with clods of soil).

Keeps the weeds down, keeps the moisture in (rasps love moisture).
I do this after the roots have had a good soak, either from rain or from the watering can, in autumn.

[northepaul]

I like the newspaper idea, thanks for that TS

[marchogaeth]

Thanks for the advice, guys. I've just been out to prune the last of them as they've lost most of their leaves. It's like spring outside today!! (Tunnel is like the Med.) Two had rasberries on that have ripened since Christmas and quite a few of the others are shooting. So much as I like the newspaper idea I think it's too late to worry about cold roots and I'll very carefully mulch them round with some good, thick goat muck. Am I right in thinking that none of you are specifically worrying about getting they roots cold? Although apart from Paul you're all much further North than me.

[marchogaeth]

I always think that the best time to mulch is when you judge the soil to be at it's best, because the mulch will tend to preserve the status quo for longer. So if the ground is frozen solid, and you mulch it, it will stay cold for much longer. Similarly if the ground is very wet, or very dry. So really, the soil decides the timing, rather than the date. If that makes sense?

Lot's of sense and duly noted.

[VirginVegGrower]

I do mine every late autumn/early winter but just because I always have. It's good to keep adding humus to your soil anyhow.

[zazen999]

Am I right in thinking that none of you are specifically worrying about getting they roots cold? Although apart from Paul you're all much further North than me.

I've never heard of this, I cut mine down when they are finished and leave them be. I mulch if I have the mulch to put on but don't do anything else - just chop the stems down once fruited.

[marchogaeth]

Well I'm fairly sure I heard it on Gardener's Question Time and they were talking about how rasberries in pots in trials (at Sparsholt??) had a higher yield than those in soil because they liked getting their roots cold. They made it sound like they should all have thought of it before! But how many rasberries do you need? I've read you guys complianing about how many you had last year and as I said my poor, totally neglected ones provided many meals. It sounds like the normal method works well so "it ain't broke" so "no fixing".

[binley100]

I mulch the same way as TS .......but use bark chippings on top of the newspaper. I gets renewed whenever it seems to have rotted down and the weeds are becoming a pita......

[Madasafish]

Late autumn for me. Composted leaves (three oak trees in field and one in front garden plus 20 odd smaller trees = LOTS of leaves...)

[Munch]

I mulch mine every year with layers of wet newspaper, overlapping each other like a carpet (weighed down with clods of soil).

Keeps the weeds down, keeps the moisture in (rasps love moisture).
I do this after the roots have had a good soak, either from rain or from the watering can, in autumn.

I have just done exactly this with mine, although I have weighed my down with a nice cosy layer of manure!

However I have a few left that I am not sure about, they have somehow "got themselves in with the wrong gang" They have matched up with THE LAWN!!!! (from the neighbouring plot) Getting grass out from raspberry canes is a mare....... will the newspaper and manure treatment kill it of enough?

[Madasafish]

I use a small hand sprayer with a contact weedkiller and spray very carefully any grass between canes.. Kills grass and so far no cane deaths.